Officials issue warnings after fall predation

Broomfield, Erie, Lafayette had incidents

By Jennifer Rios

Staff Writer

Posted:
09/28/2017 12:47:43 PM MDT

If you go

What: Living with Coyotes

When: Erie Community Center

Where: 6 p.m. Oct. 4

Cost: free

More info: Ashley DeLaup, a wildlife ecologist who specializes in helping communities reduce conflict with their local coyote population, will make the presentation. For more information, contact Katie Hansen at khansen@erieco.gov or 303-926-2763.

Tips on keeping pets safe

Do not leave pet food or garbage outside

Do not intentionally or unintentionally feed wildlife

Do not leave dogs or cats outside unattended (coyotes can jump over a 6-foot fence)

Make sure your pets' vaccinations are current

Pets should be leashed and attended when off of the owner's property

Use extra caution dusk through dawn

Avoid known or potential den sites and areas of thick vegetation

Do not allow dogs to "play" with coyotes or foxes

Consider using a covered dog run

If confronted by a coyote, persons should shout or make some other loud noise to frighten the animal away.

A small dog that was attacked by a great horned owl while on a walk with its owner and survived has prompted Broomfield to remind pet owners of natural predators in the area.

The woman was walking her dog near Plaster Reservoir in the Broadlands area when the pet was attacked. Since then, signs have been put up in the area and the open-space officials have talked with the owner, Open Space and Trails Director Kristan Pritz said.

"We hope that the situation has been addressed," she said. "This was an extremely unusual situation."

Pritz said she has seen it happen in other communities, but it hasn't happened in Broomfield for years.

"Definitely in the fall season, you're going to see a little more predator activity," Lafayette police Officer Ashley Howard said, "and that's only because a lot of the predators are getting ready for winter."

In Broomfield, the coyote situation has been relatively quiet this season, Pritz said, compared to previous years.

There was a hot spot at the Field Open Space and staff received general calls about coyote activity in the Gate and Green, Broadlands and Aspen Creek neighborhoods.

Reports of a "bold coyote" were reported in the Field, but trained staff was able to drive it away. It's tough to know if the hazing was absolutely what caused the coyote to back off, but Pritz said she thinks it helped.

Broomfield uses two levels of hazing — a less intense form where staff goes out and yells or screams at the coyote, and another where trained staff use a rubber bullet gun.

"In that instance, we were prepared to do that," Pritz said, "but I don't think we actually shot it just because of the proximity to the animal."

Senior Open Space and Trails Coordinator Peter Dunlaevy said Broomfield does not record coyote sightings because they are so frequent and pose little concern. They do record attacks on humans, pets or a threatening incident between a human and a coyote.

"We have not had any attacks or threatening incidents with humans in 2017, but we have had three recorded coyote attacks on pets," he said.

Two of those coyote attacks were on "unattended" dogs, Dunlaevy said, and both of those attacks were fatal for the dog. In the third case, the owner was present and was able to scare off the coyote. The dog was bitten, but not killed.

"Since we began recording this data, the vast majority of coyote attacks on pets happen when the pet is 'unattended,'" he said.

It is likely, he said, that there are some coyote incidents with pets that Open Space is not informed about.

Erie spokeswoman Katie Hansen said she was not aware of birds of prey carrying off pets in Erie, but they have had reports of coyote encounters. Erie officials will host an informational meeting for residents at 6 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Erie Community Center.

"We recognize that this time of year there are more instances of coyote conflicts for various reasons," she said, "and we want to educate residents on their ecology, behavior and the ways to minimize that potential of conflicts and encounters."

Typically reports of predators come between September and November, she said, and are especially seen when houses back up to open space.

Even in more communal areas, coyotes can still get into backyards to grab cats and small dogs, Howard said, since they are used to humans and trot in front of people in open spaces.

Most times, coyotes are more curious than anything, she said, but can become aggressive when dogs walk by the animal's den. The coyote population has remained steady over the past few years.

"We have a lot of prairie dogs this year," she said, "so it's nice to have this coyote population."

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